Transitional objects as objectifiers of the self in toddlers and adolescents

Particular transitional experiences--such as moving through space or into sleep--may evoke the use of transitional objects by children in their second year of life. Toddlers still identify objects by their position in space. Thus, at the point in development when a child first synthesizes a cohesive ego, literal transition of the child from one place to another can disrupt incipient confidence in a sense of self. An object representing the self that the child transports to the new place can reinforce a sense of personal control and personal continuity. Such use, which the author terms self-objectification, explains why the presence or absence of the mothering caregiver is not necessarily the determining factor in whether a child employs a transitional object. Later in life (e.g., adolescence), when identity issues again become crucial, concrete transitional mechanisms can again help reduce anxiety. The author uses case material from the treatment of three adolescents to illustrate this phenomenon.